What Color Flooring Goes With Oak or Wood Cabinets

Are you looking for engineered, solid wood, or wood-look (LVP, LVT) flooring that makes your outdated oak cabinets look more modern? Wondering which flooring colors coordinate and which clash? You’re in the right place.

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Ideally, this floor would be a touch less yellow-toned.

But you don’t get to just see flooring options – I ain’t no one-trick pony. Here’s what you’ll learn in this blog post…

What to AVOID when looking for flooring that coordinates with oak or wood cabinets
How I really feel about wood cabinets with wood flooring
3 EXPERT TIPS for coordinating wood flooring with wood cabinets
Wood flooring samples, LVT/LVP wood-look flooring, and wood-like tile examples.
What to do if the samples you order don’t coordinate with your cabinets.

Many people with oak cabinets want wood flooring, and finding a good pairing isn’t hard.

What’s hard is convincing YOU that it’s a good pairing and the best way to make your older cabinets look more updated.

What does that mean? Well, let’s dive in…

While both woods are beautiful, they don’t coordinate and devalue each other. The floor needs to be way less busy and contain more yellow-orange and less red.

WHAT TO AVOID WHEN CHOOSING NEW FLOORING

One of the biggest mistakes I see homeowners make (weekly) when updating a room with golden oak cabinets is choosing flooring that looks too modern for their home’s existing finishes or isn’t well-coordinated. There are 2 main reasons for this…

They think that a more modern floor will make their older, outdated wood cabinets look more updated. The old ‘you are who you surround yourself with‘ theory.
They don’t like the color of their golden or honey oak cabinets and think that doing an OPPOSITE finish (usually wood) will help distract or tone things down.

Maybe your oak cabinets look something like these 3 doors in the center of this next image…

The left and right rows show wood flooring colors and stains I would avoid with those cabinet colors (or similar ones). So, if the above samples look similar to samples you’ve got kickin’ around, you might want to keep looking.

The cabinets in this next kitchen are super red-toned…

The Best Paint Colors to Go With Red-Toned Wood Finishes

The BEST WAY to update the above flooring is to reduce the sheen and maybe lighten it a tone or two. They wouldn’t even need to lighten it as if the flooring is too light, the cabinets will POP in comparison. Regardless, the red has to stay for these cabinets to look their best.

There really is a method to the madness (and a madness to the method) when coordinating flooring with oak finishes, whether it’s cabinetry, furniture, or trim.

WOULD I UPDATE MY OAK KITCHEN CABINETS WITH WOOD FLOORING?

No. And it’s such a hard no; I’m getting a little excited – we are talking about hard wood, after all. And yes, that is my brain in a nutshell.

The last thing these strong-grained oak cabinets want is wood flooring – even the busy travertine is too much.

How do I explain this? Hmmm. Okay, so unless you’re in the .5% whose oak cabinets look like modern, updated cabinetry you’d install today (grain, stain, and style), you’re dealing with a slightly (or more) dated look. Most often, it’s the stain color that’s the biggest challenge.

The oak cabinets are perfect for an updated look – great stain, grain, and style. Even the existing floor works.

To coordinate with your oak cabinets, your flooring color needs to pick up what your cabinets are throwin’ down. So, if you have orange-toned oak, your flooring needs orange. If you have golden, honey, red-toned oak, your flooring needs that color in it, and it can’t be subtle about it either.

Your wood cabinets and your flooring need to look closely related – so close that you might even wonder if their parents are kissin’ cousins.

While the narrower strip style isn’t as modern/updated, the COLOR of this flooring is pretty darn close! A touch lighter and more yellow would hit the spot.

Here’s one of my clients’ kitchens partway through their kitchen update project…

The wood flooring works fine with the oak cabinets (which are amazeballs – one of my favorite oaks), but the combo isn’t ‘updated-looking’ – it’s just good coordination. Luckily, they were painting their cabinets a glorious shade of green, so this wasn’t a topic of conversation for us.

Wood flooring (real or wood-look) can make your oak cabinets look better (depending on what the floor used to be), but won’t necessarily make them look 100% updated. And that’s okay!

Could they look more updated than they currently do? Yes.
Might this be a huge improvement on what’s currently there and add visual and actual value to your home? Heck yes.

This is because your outdated wood cabinets can only look updated to a point – and that’s not your flooring’s fault. But just because something isn’t 100% updated doesn’t mean it isn’t badass and beautiful!

If they tone the floor down (remove some orange), update the countertop and backsplash, and remove the valance over the sink, these wood cabinets would look fantastic!

As for my next client’s home, there’s NO wood flooring (other than a wider plank) that would look better than this…

Keep in mind that I rely 99.5% on images from my Online Paint Color Consulting clients, friends, followers, and my own files to make this blog run – NO AI IMAGES HERE, MA DEAR!

The flooring stain in the kitchen above is bang-on. I’d way rather they spend money on their backsplash and countertop than new flooring.

THE 2 BEST WAYS TO UPDATE A KITCHEN WITH OAK CABINETS

The reality is, with older oak cabinets, wood-on-wood isn’t always ideal. It will only take your cabinets so far in the world of ‘updated and modern’. And hey, if that’s as far as you want to go – awesome possum. But if you have a different kind of ‘updated’ in mind, you might not get there.

Why? Well, I harken back to one of my 89 favorite sayings…

Just because it’s wood doesn’t mean it’s good.

The 2 best ways to make older, potentially ‘quite’ outdated wood cabinets look more updated are…

Choose a tile floor that goes with an updated countertop and backsplash. But coordinating a tile floor is a blog post unto itself (stay tuned).
Paint the cabinets and install a gorgeous wood floor. There, I said it.

Don’t get me wrong, I loooove wood cabinets, especially oak. But if you really want wood floors and want your kitchen to look as UPDATED AS POSSIBLE, you might need to consider paint or tile (paint usually being the most modern approach).

Painted Wood Cabinets: Real Home Before & Afters

Are there exceptions? You bet your cute little booty there are, but don’t assume your home is one of them. Let’s look at this next kitchen…

The cabinets are new, so their styling, sheen, and grain profile are modern-looking (big win)
The floor doesn’t have too much yellow and has some pink (light red) undercurrents.
While the cabinet’s red stain is strong and sets itself apart from the floor, it has something to visually connect with – the moldings. Without the trim and baseboard, these cabinets would seem disconnected from the room. That said, do I WISH the floor were a wink stronger? Yes, but really, it’s a gorgeous space.

How to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets Without Paint

3 EXPERT TIPS TO COORDINATE WOOD FLOOR WITH OAK CABINETS

Whether you have golden oak, honey oak, red-orange, dark, or any kind of oakey-dokey, coordination is key.

I can’t cover every stain color ever created. However, I can offer tips and guidance to get you on the right path and help you avoid the wrong one.

A wood like this would work well with a floor that has a muted, grounded red undertone.

The Best Neutral Paint Colors to Go With Wood Cabinets

1. LAYER YOUR STAIN DEPTH

Generally speaking, it’s best if your flooring is a tone or more lighter than your cabinets. Darker-than can be an awkward look. TOO much lighter, and you’ll only make your oak cabinets look dated, as the contrast will make them POP. A tone or two is best, although same depth can work.

Also note that modern wood floors have minimal sheen, whereas 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s oak cabinets often have a reasonably strong finish (satin or even semi-gloss). Given this shift between finishes, some choose a stain color that’s relatively close in depth to their cabinets, knowing the sheen change will set them apart a bit.

This wood stain has a light pink undertone, and that’s what you’d need in your flooring.

2. MATCH YOUR WOOD’S UNDERTONES

Every wood stain has a general color (or 2) – yellow, yellow-orange, orange, orange-red, red, red-purple. The lucky few have oak that’s more or less ‘brown’ with no dominant undertone.

The key is to match your cabinet stain’s undertone. And I’m not talking about a polite wink – this is a color commitment.

Again, this doesn’t need to be in DEPTH (a bit lighter is ideal), but they should be a similar ‘stain color’.

These wood cabinets have a nice orange-red blend and would love the flooring to follow suit.

The Best Backsplash Ideas to Update a 2000s Kitchen

3. DON’T OVERWHELM WITH TOO MUCH WOOD GRAIN

Traditional oak cabinets from the 1980s, 1990s, and earlier 2000s can have a super strong, bossy grain.

If you pair strongly grained wood cabinets with super grainy, busy wood or wood-look flooring, both woods could be overwhelmed.

Consider wood flooring with a tighter, smaller grain, and minimal change from board to board. This might be oak, but it also could be maple or another modestly grained wood.

At the end of the day, choosing the best wood flooring for your oak cabinets means setting some of your wants aside and focusing on your home’s needs (as they are ‘needs’, not wants).

Is it Better to Restain or Paint Wood Cabinets? A QUESTIONNAIRE

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for – samples.

WOOD OR ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING TO SAMPLE WITH YOUR CABINETS

There’s a lot of variation among 1990s oak cabinets. Toss in some dark brown from the 1980s and red from the early 2000s, and I’ve got a lot of ground to cover (or floor, if you will).

SOLID WOOD FLOORING: Solid wood flooring is what many think of when they want ‘wood’ flooring of some sort.

ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING: This looks exactly the same as solid wood flooring once installed. However, like an onion, it’s got layers – lots of them. These layers can help your floor withstand changes in humidity (which can cause humidititties) with fewer shifts, gaps, and creaks. A quality engineered wood floor will be good for resanding, depending on its wear layer. A lower quality one won’t.

PLEASE NOTE: I didn’t consider price, reviews, size, etc. I focused on COLOR. Check out the samples below. If you look at one of the woods and think…

‘That wood looks a lot like my cabinet color’ – sample it.
‘It looks like a lighter version of my cabinet color’ – sample it.
‘That looks similar, but it might be a bit too muted’ – sample it. Remember, samples can look way different in person than online.
‘It doesn’t look like my cabinet color, but I really like it’ – don’t sample it.

LIFEPROOF – Canyonlands Oak. Seems to have a subtle touch of pink, which can work with some golden or honey oaks that have a red undercurrent.
KARASTAN BREVANNA – Aged Barrel Oak. This offers a modest approach to golden oak. Not too rich but also not too muted.
KARASTAN BREVANNA – Stonewashed Oak. ONLY if your cabinets are a bit lighter, honey-toned, and not overly orange or red.
MALIBU: Hollister French Oak
JPC HARDWOOD – Highland Meadow. Seems like a beautiful, balanced approach to golden warmth.
BEDROSIANS NEWPORT – Driftwood.

You can order samples of these floors from Home Depot, Wayfair, and Designshop!

How about Round 2, baby boo…

BRUCE TIME HONORED – Caramel Treasure. This has a gorgeous orange backdrop and a touch of red, which is common with many golden oak cabinets I see in my work.
BRUCE TIME HONORED – Warm Sienna Oak. This one definitely picks up some pink, but so do a lot of the cabinets I work with.
BERGAMIA OAK – Malvesia Bene. Super grounded and brownish. If your oak cabinets pick up this look, I’m jealous.
BEDROSIANS NEWPORT – Cove. This bad boy leans more into a good orange hue.
ARTISTRY MONIKER – Maverick Oak. This is a nice flooring for red oak that’s mid-toned with a pinkish hue.
ARTISTRY NORWOOD – Hermosa Oak. This wood has a bnrighter, cleaner approach to a red (pink) hue.

Remember, a sample can look WAY different online than it does once it arrives at your doorstep…way different. If it looks way different, don’t blame the Ginger; blame the supplier for bad photos.

The Ultimate Guide to Updating Oak or Wood Cabinets

LAMINATE FLOORING THAT GOES WITH MANY OAK CABINET FINISHES

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ flooring. This is why I’m tossin’ in a range for you to choose from.

PROTECO Decorman – Walnut Oak. I can see this one jibing with stronger, honey or golden oak cabinets.
TARKETT – Shoreflor. Looks like it has a nice honeyish backdrop.
ESSENTIA SURFACES – Hazelnut Oak. Awesome if you have super dark, brownish oak cabinets.
ESSENTIA SURFACES – Nutmeg Oak. I can see this working great for some golden oak cabinets.
ASPEN FLOORING – Alpine. You might need this if you have darker red oak cabinetry.
KARASTAN DANBURY – Spiced Cider Walnut. This floor hits a great reddish pink hue.

Now, let’s see what’s shakin’ in the wild and wonderful world of LVP.

LVP WOOD-LOOK FLOORING THAT GOES WITH MANY OAK CABINETS

Again, I can’t cover every oak, just the ‘average’ ones. Check out the samples below. If you look at one of the woods and think…

‘That wood looks a lot like my cabinet color’ – sample it.
‘It looks like a lighter version of my cabinet color’ – sample it.
‘That looks similar, but it might be a bit too muted’ – sample it. Remember, samples can look way different in person than online.
‘It doesn’t look like my cabinet color, but I really like it’ – don’t sample it.

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ flooring. This is why I’m tossin’ in a range for you to choose from.

MOHAWK ELITE – Sandcloud Oak. If your oak or wood cabinets are darker with a bit of red, this LVP floor is gorgeous. I also love the Mohawk brand.
REOVATILE – Natural Maple. The name says maple, but this really looks more like oak, but whatever.
ACKLAND ELORIE – Nautical Neutral. This flooring appears to have a beautiful honey-inspired hue.
MSI – Meadow Ridge. Just a weeee touch of pink in this one.
GLUECORE PRO – Expresso. This has a nice warm, grounded look with a touch of pink.
KARNDEAN – Canaletto. This one has more pink, which you can see if you compare it to the sample above and below it.

WOOD-LOOK TILE FLOORING THAT GOES WITH MANY OAK CABINETS

Wood-look tile flooring can be a great choice for a kitchen if you’re committed to wood-look flooring, but with the durability of tile.

Check out the samples below. If you look at one of the woods and think…

‘That wood looks a lot like my cabinet color’ – sample it.
‘It looks like a lighter version of my cabinet color with similar color or undertones’ – sample it.
‘That looks similar, but it might be a bit too muted’ – sample it. Remember, samples can look way different in person than online.
‘It doesn’t look like my cabinet color, but I really like it’ – don’t sample it.

MSI – Solana Amber. A nice blend of orange and red, love it.
ACKLANDS FONTANA – Tanin. A soft, subtle pinkish hue.
WOOD LOOK ITALIA – Tile floor. This one gives a nice nod to honey.
TILEBAR – Oaktree Elegant. There’s a stronger reddish-pink hue in here that could be amazeballs with some darkish red oak cabinets.
MSI – Solana Sunstone. This has a soft, pinkish hue.
MONTEVERO – Lacosta. I love the balanced look of this one with a nice dollop of yellow and some orange.

WHAT IF THE SAMPLES YOU ORDER DON’T COORDINATE WITH YOUR CABINETS?

Again, the cute lil’ Ginger is just doing her best with the online images she can find. If the samples look different in person, that’s on the manufacturer. Still, you’ve got tips and ideas to get you going in the right direction.

Sample a wide range, not just 1 or 2.
If none of those work, figure out what’s missing (color- or depth-wise) and order new samples that seem to have what your cabinets need.
If shopping locally, take the closest sample with you and look for ones that are ‘more red, more orange, darker, lighter,‘ or whatever it is you think you need.

If your golden oak is this strong, your flooring will need to have a pretty strong personality to coordinate.

BEFORE YOU START SHOPPING FOR FLOORING

Grab your screwdriver, toss in some ice and a lime, and toss it back. Oh wait, different screwdriver (although the former could still come in very handy).

Remove a drawer front and take it with you to the flooring store. This is the best way to see which flooring finishes coordinate and which clash.
Next, take what the store employee says with a grain of salt. While these folks are great at their job, they aren’t always Designers or well-versed on what actually works when updating or remodeling a home without replacing everything – they aren’t necessarily great at ‘working with what you’ve got’.
While we’ll look at examples shortly, find flooring samples that follow the guidance given below. It can be tempting to lean into what YOU love, but you need to listen to your wood’s needs first (my hubby wishes I were better at listening to his wood’s needs…).
Bring the samples home to see how they look in your home’s natural lighting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUICK QUESTIONS

For a quick touch on some hot topics.

DOES WHITE OAK FLOORING GO WITH GOLDEN OR HONEY OAK CABINETS

Natural white oak? No, it will just make older oak cabinets look dated. White oak only works if you apply a stain that coordinates well with the cabinets (as we discussed earlier).

WHAT FLOORING WILL MAKE OLDER OAK OR WOOD CABINETS LOOK THEIR MOST UPDATED?

Tile flooring is your best bet, along with a well-chosen countertop and backsplash. Wood flooring can work with some wood cabinets, but it’s not always the most ‘modern’ choice.

SHOULD WOOD FLOORING BE LIGHTER OR DARKER THAN OAK OR WOOD CABINETS?

For most homes, wood flooring should be the same depth as, or lighter than, the cabinets.

WHAT COLOR FLOORING GOES WITH GOLDEN OAK CABINETS

Golden oak cabinets vary in their stain color. Most of the ones I work with in my virtual paint color consulting have a dominant orange hue. I see some with a bit of orange-yellow and many with orange-red. Filook best withnd flooring that picks up your cabinet’s color. Don’t stray into another color or a graywash or whitewash. As mentioned above, it doesn’t need to be the exact same depth, but they should look closely related.

WHAT COLOR FLOORING GOES WITH HONEY OAK CABINETS

The honey oak cabinets I work with have a yellow hue, but they’re rarely just ‘yellow’. They might seem a bit yellow-brown, have a touch of red, but most often blend with orange. Because of this, people often use the terms ‘golden oak’ and ‘honey oak’ interchangeably.

This flooring is closer to honey oak…

It doesn’t matter what you call it – your flooring should pick this up. Don’t add a new color or venture into whitewash or graywash. Your flooring doesn’t need to be the exact same depth as your cabinets, but it should look closely related.

WHAT COLOR FLOORING GOES WITH RED OAK CABINETS OR PINK HUES

Ahhhh, red oak. While I see it often mixed with orange, some red oak cabinets are very, very strong. Your instincts might pull you in the opposite direction, but you’ll only create a clash between your cabinets and flooring. Lean into the red and repeat it in your flooring. You don’t need to match the exact same depth as your cabinets, but they should look closely related.